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| The ABCs of behaviour explained. |
The behaviours of special
needs children may be unpredictable and challenging to manage sometimes, and
there could be a variety of reasons as to why a child would behave in a certain
manner. A change in environment, people, or objects may trigger negative
behaviours that can pose a threat to both the child and others. But sometimes
an adult’s response towards a child’s behaviour may reinforce it even more,
further worsening the situation. Hence, in this article, replacement behaviours
will be introduced to attempt to make classroom management easier for teachers.
This could also be useful for parents.
The ABCs of Behaviour
Firstly, the ABC chart (Antecedent-Behaviour-Consequence)
is commonly used with a behaviourist approach, where antecedents are what have occurred
before the behaviour, the behaviour itself, and the consequences of that
behaviour (Tan Meng Yin, 2020). For instance, if a
child’s toy was taken by another, that is the antecedent. Then the child hits
the other child, which shows inappropriate behaviour. Then the teacher comes in
to pull the attacking child away, which is the consequence. However, the issue
is never resolved, and the child may attack someone else again. Hence, it is
pertinent that the adult knows about replacement behaviours.
Replacement Behaviour?
A replacement behaviour is
when a child has a need met in an appropriate manner, and it is maintained by
the same consequences of an inappropriate behaviour, such as getting the child
to say “Stop” and not hitting someone (Community
Psychology Hub, 2024). That same child can be taught to use
words or visuals to communicate, and even approach the teacher if the child is
unable to problem-solve by themselves. Or the teacher could understand what has
triggered the child and change the setting of the environment.
Strategy for Replacement Behaviour
A strategy to allow for
replacement behaviours is Functional Behaviour Assessments (FBA), and it
involves understanding the setting, antecedents, behaviour, and consequences,
and changing things to ensure the child’s needs are met (Tan Meng Yin,
2020).
There is no golden rule or one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to managing
challenging behaviour. This is one strong reason why teachers can never be
replaced by robots, despite what Melania Trump tried advocating for with the
humanoid robot acting as an educator, because artificial intelligence has a
human future (Engle, 2026).
References
Community Psychology Hub. (2024). Overview of
Replacement Behaviours. Retrieved from iCAREcommunity:
https://icare.cph.sg/11c-replacement-behaviours
Engle, J. (2 April, 2026). Would You Want a Robot
Teacher? Retrieved from The New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/02/learning/would-you-want-a-robot-teacher.html
Tan Meng Yin, E. (2020). SPE105 Management of behaviour in
special education (study guide). Singapore: Singapore University of Social
Sciences.
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